D.C. remains tough on marijuana policy

November 29, 2017
By
Law Offices of James E. Crawford, Jr. & Associates

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As Tim Craig reports for the Washington Post, D.C. law prohibiting the
use of marijuana for recreational purposes isn’t likely to change
anytime soon. Caught on apossession charge, a person in D.C. currently faces harsh punishment: up to six months behind
bars and a $1,000 fine.

Maryland, on the other hand, recently eased up on possession charges (though
it hasn’t eased up that much), reducing the amount of time spent
behind bars to a possible three months (but still imposes a heavy $1,000
fine, according to Craig). Other states in the D.C. area have taken similar measures.

So what’s going on in D.C.?

It’s the U.S. Attorney, who wields significant “clout”
in the lawmaking process. While the D.C. mayor appears to support easing
up on harsh punishment for the recreational use of marijuana, U.S. Attorney
Ronald Machen is a representative of the federal government – and
the federal government hasn’t been exactly soft on crime when it
comes to marijuana.

Machen prosecutes the marijuana possession cases in D.C., and he’s
a “player” in debating bills. “Any bill that goes through
here, the U.S. Attorney is a player in the legislative process,”
said D.C. mayor Vincent Gray, as Craig reports. “I would suppose
they would oppose any weakening.”

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